Saturday, January 5, 2013

Panko Crunch Shrimp Linguine

Sometimes a girl just needs a night to make herself a fancy dinner at home (or is that just me?). Last night, Mike was otherwise occupied and as I was scrambling to make a plan for my Friday evening, I decided I could use a little fancy time at home. By fancy, of course I mean wearing sweatpants while eating a girly dinner, enjoying a nice Malbec, and grabbing a chick flick at Redbox - my kind of Friday!

Mike is unfortunately allergic to some seafood, and even if he isn't allergic to it, he doesn't really care for it (I love him even if he has a monogamous relationship with meat and potatoes!), so when I'm making dinner for just myself, I love making seafood.

This shrimp dish is easy to prepare and is similar to a Shrimp Scampi. The best part is, many of these ingredients are things I always have on hand, so after work I just had to pick up some shrimp, lemon, and parsley. I love the crunch of the panko crumbs mixed with the pasta and serve it with a little lemon wedge for extra flavor.

Preheat oven to 425. First, prepare the breadcrumb mixture by melting 2 tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and stir well coat. Remove from heat, and add 1 tbsp. of the parsley, and the zest of half the lemon. Spray a cookie sheet or casserole dish with cooking spray and arrange shrimp in a single layer. Top with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down lightly so it will stick to the shrimp. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package directions. In a medium sauté pan, melt remaining 2 tbsp. butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute or so. Add the white wine and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it reduce while the pasta is cooking, stirring often. When the pasta is done, remove the sauce from heat, add the pasta to the pan and stir well to combine. Add 1 tbsp. parsley and parmesan cheese. To serve, top with shrimp, sprinkle nay extra panko crumbs from the pan over the pasta, garnish with remaining parsley and lemon wedge. Enjoy!